As always the moment LOVE hits the stands I find myself heavy handed with the fresh crispness of my new issue. I am obligated to purchase, I owe it to myself to feed my inner creative monster.
Tragically, though I hate to admit it, and do not think badly of me will you? But until this new issue I haven't actually been so far as to sit down and read LOVE. . .
Ridiculous and worthy of a rotten pummeling in stocks I know.
But instead of consuming the literary talent and wisdom that soaks its glossy pages, I find myself eye licking and chewing on the imagery. Not just the editorials either I'm no prude when it comes to the photos within. I love the amount of advertising, its almost as good as pressing your nose up to the chilled windows on Bond Street letting a slim dribble work its way through your open lips to form a sizable puddle of envy and yearning.
This issue I found myself being drawn into the articles like a fat kid to cake. I suppose its due to the fact the subjects are more on my wave length and that the photography turned its head to Romanticism. There is nothing I love more than wisps of soft fabric and heavy lidded eyes and taking a refreshing break from the dominatrix themes of the catwalks it highlights the softer side of things.
More mysterious and super natural.
Its like someone opened the window in a cloying brothel perfumed stink letting in the fresh air.
One of the articles fell into its obsessed section, which interviewed LOVE's favourite fashion people and one of my favourite people Ruth Hogben, someone who's work I envy and admire in equal measure. She is one of fashions leading moving image makers, creating glorious fashion films. Her CV alone is something that automatically makes me want to stab her out of outrageous jealously. She has worked for Nick Knight, Gareth Pugh, Alexander McQueen, Lady Gaga, Givenchy and Celine to name a few.
Ruth started out not particularly knowing whether or not she wanted to be a 'proper photographer', she just loved the models and the clothes and the general fantasy world created by magazines. And honestly I find myself in the same sort of mind frame.
Her work speaks for itself and honestly I struggle to describe just how awesome it is so have a look for yourself, I hope you love her work even half as much as I do.
The jerky movements in the opening sequence completely unnerved me, its all very typical to the manic and perverse style that seems to be a constant theme in her videos though, its whats come to be expected and anticipated. Around 5 mins in it transforms into something more fluid and static which blends and complements the previous beautifully. The whole affect seems to be like a peculiar interpretive dance piece, i would love to be in Hogben's mind just for a few moments to glimpse the triggering inspirations for these videos.
Another article was about one of my new favourite bands, Metronomy. I was first drawn in by their toe tappingly enticing electronic beats. The sound they create sort of creeps into your brain and lodges itself until its all you can do not to hum and sing along to 'The look' or my personal favourite 'The Bay'. Since releasing 'pip paine' in 2006 lead man Joe Mount has worked with pop princesses, Kate Nash, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Nicola Roberts and also folk stars the foals. After listening to the whole album I find myself being charmed by his witty lyrics;
Get up and we get down
We're always running round this townAnd to think they said
We'd never make anything better than this
Of course it is the photography within LOVE that always enchants me the most. Here are a few of the editorials that appealed to me the most:
I really liked these series of photographs because they look completely genuine of the period. That is until you look very closely and see the feminine faces to pretty for the average young soldier. Its plays on the current trend for androgyny and the military themes that are fluxing the catwalks. When I look at the images they are very sincere and almost poetic. The styling is extremely clean cut and crisp, the photo to the right here was my favourite of the shots. I love the composition, that its favoured heavily to the right leaving alot of soft focused landscape, I believe that this makes the image almost empathetic, its like your also sat daydreaming. These are but a few in this series and if you wish to see them in all their glory i strongly suggest you invest in a copy of your own!
"it's 90 years since Guccio Gucci first set up shop in Florence, selling leather goods that showcased the legendary expertise of the local craftsmen. To mark this milestone, Gucci is opening a permanent museum devoted to the heritage of the house in the city's historic Piazza Signoria this September, with a definitive anniversary book published by Rizzoli the following month. And for this special commemorative LOVE shoot, Gucci exclusively opened the doors to its closely guarded archive, allowing us to pick out pieces that have defined its aesthetic over nine decades"
Whilst flicking through this particular sequence I wasn't majorly drawn in or impressed... that was until I came across this photograph. I sat and stared at it for I don't know how long. I love again the open space left by the photographer maybe its becoming my new fetish. But it wasn't only the composition that captured my attention, the way Natalia is being lit is so striking. She is a striking figure in her own right but the way the light is highlighting her profile for me makes the image.
"The candle-buds opened their wide white flowers;
their scent spilled out into the air and took
possession of the island...
Soft, romantic fashion with dangerous undercurrents in a hard-edged realm of fantasy.
Made in Pinewood, England"
This beautiful bondage renaissance style shoot truly plays at our darkest fantasies, its based on the Italian Greek myth of Leda and the swan, a tale that inspired many a erotic subject for the old masters. The whole shoot took place in Pinewood Studios and you will safely agree with me that the final images are breathtaking.
The images above were taken from my magazine and are only select few and cropped to the bits that I liked best, if you wish to see them in their full glory go grab yourself a copy!